Management consultancy tenders cover strategy and change, programme and project management, HR and organisational design, financial management consultancy, and evaluations and reviews, bought by councils, NHS bodies and central government. This page lists live notices matched to the consultancy codes, explains what buyers check (professional indemnity, conflicts of interest, Cyber Essentials where data is handled) and shows how a smaller consultancy competes. Our tender eligibility checker is coming soon. Until then, tell us your trade and postcode to join the free weekly list of live tenders, starting soon.
What buyers usually ask management consultancy suppliers for
The pack sets the detail. These are the points with a legal or policy basis, plus the questions to check before you price.
Professional indemnity insurance
Buyers set the level of cover contract by contract, and we can’t give a typical figure. Read the insurance section of the pack first, and compare the limit with your current policy. If your cover is below what it asks, find out early whether you can raise it before award. See professional indemnity for consultants.
Conflicts of interest
Under the Procurement Act, the buyer must take all reasonable steps to identify, and keep under review, actual and potential conflicts of interest, and must prepare a conflicts assessment before it publishes a tender notice. If a conflict gives a supplier an unfair advantage that can’t be avoided, the supplier must be treated as an excluded supplier. These duties apply above the thresholds; below them, the guidance says a proportionate approach is still good practice. The guidance gives one example of a step a buyer could take: require a supplier not to use the consultancy that is advising the buyer on that procurement to help with its tender (para 18).
For a consultancy the practical point is simple. If you helped the buyer shape the requirement, or advised on the wider project, tell the buyer before you bid and ask what it needs from you.
Cyber Essentials where data is handled
PPN 014 asks central government departments, executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and NHS bodies to require Cyber Essentials, or equivalent controls, for contracts that involve things like citizens’ personal information or ICT systems that store or process OFFICIAL-level data. If you will hold staff or citizen data, such as survey responses or case files, check whether the buyer is in scope. The PPN says the scheme shouldn’t be applied to every contract as a matter of course, and evidence of Cyber Essentials (or equivalent) is needed before award. See Cyber Essentials for government contracts.
Team CVs, day rates and case studies
Where the pack asks for CVs, day rates and case studies, check whether the named individuals are scored, whether they must deliver the work, and what happens if one leaves. Choose case studies that match the buyer’s problem, and describe outcomes you can evidence.
Financial standing
Minimum turnover is set by each buyer, and we can’t give a typical figure. Check what the test is and how it is measured. See turnover and financial standing.
How to win consultancy contracts
Frameworks and call-offs versus open tenders
Public bodies can buy consultancy through frameworks as well as open tenders. Under a framework, each job is a call-off awarded with or without competition between the appointed suppliers. An open framework must be re-opened at least once in its first three years and then at least every five, so a firm that misses the first round may get another chance. On above-threshold contracts, buyers must also consider lots, or give reasons for not using them, so a large programme may be split by workstream. Our guide covers frameworks and dynamic markets.
Below-threshold commissions
From 1 January 2026, services contracts fall under the full Act rules at £135,018 including VAT for central government and £207,720 for other authorities. Below that, when a buyer invites tenders, section 85 bars a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but the buyer can still assess suitability at the award stage (Welsh devolved buyers follow their own rules, and call-offs from frameworks are excluded).
If a buyer advertises a below-threshold contract worth £12,000 or more (central government, including NHS trusts) or £30,000 or more (other authorities), including VAT, it must first publish a below-threshold tender notice (section 87). Buyers can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising.
Method and outcomes: what evaluators score
A buyer awards to the most advantageous tender: the one that meets its requirements and best satisfies the award criteria. Set out how you will work, what you will deliver and when, what you need from the buyer, and how success will be measured. Evaluators can only score what you write down.
Social value
Central government departments, their executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies must give social value at least a 10% weighting on above-threshold contracts where it is relevant and proportionate (PPN 002). NHS bodies are outside its scope. A consultancy can offer apprenticeships, placements or pro bono capacity-building for local organisations. Be specific and measurable.
Pitfalls to check before you commit
- Day-rate-only pricing. A rate card without a fixed scope can leave you over-delivering. Where the pack allows, price deliverables as well as days.
- Vague deliverables. Pin down what “done” means for each stage and who signs it off.
- Named-team substitution terms. Check what happens if a named consultant leaves: notice, approval of a replacement and any price effect.
Who issues management consultancy tenders
Councils, NHS bodies and central government all commission consultancy. Division 79 (business services) had 52 live notices in the week to 10 Oct 2026, and consultancy is one slice of that, so the live list above is the better guide to current volume. For neighbouring work, see business services tenders, marketing tenders, training tenders and engineering consultancy tenders.
Questions
How do public bodies buy management consultancy?
Through open tenders and through frameworks. Under a framework, each job is a call-off, awarded with or without competition between the appointed suppliers. Below the thresholds, a buyer can also invite quotes from chosen suppliers without advertising. The notice or the pack shows which route a buyer is using.
What professional indemnity cover do consultants need for tenders?
The buyer sets the level contract by contract, and we can't give a typical figure. Read the insurance section of the pack, compare the limit with your current policy, and ask your broker early if it needs to rise before award.
Can a small consultancy win work without being on a framework?
Yes, open notices exist. On above-threshold contracts, buyers must consider splitting contracts into lots. Below the thresholds, section 85 bars a separate suitability stage before tenders are submitted, but a buyer that invites tenders can still assess suitability at the award stage (Welsh devolved buyers and framework call-offs are excluded). Some work is only available through frameworks, so check which route the buyer is using.
How do buyers handle conflicts of interest?
Under the Procurement Act a buyer must take all reasonable steps to identify and keep under review any conflicts, and must prepare a conflicts assessment before it publishes a tender notice. If a conflict gives a supplier an unfair advantage that can't be avoided, the supplier must be treated as an excluded supplier. These duties apply above the thresholds; below them, the guidance says a proportionate approach is still good practice. If you advised on the project earlier, tell the buyer before you bid.
Where are NHS and council consultancy contracts advertised?
Notices appear on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, and the live list on this page draws on both. Smaller commissions may be offered only to chosen suppliers, so being known to the buyer can matter as much as spotting the notice.